The Office of Religious Diversity and DePaul Interfaith hosted an inter-religious celebration in November 2014. “Social justice and diversity are at the very core of DePaul,” said Elizabeth Ortiz, vice president for Institutional Diversity and Equity. DePaul is a recipient of the 2015 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award, given to U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to inclusive excellence. (Photo by Jamie Moncrief)CHICAGO — DePaul University has received the 2015 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the second year in a row DePaul was honored with this recognition.

The HEED award recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to inclusive excellence. DePaul was selected based on its exemplary diversity and inclusion initiatives, and ability to embrace a broad definition of diversity on campus, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.

“Social justice and diversity are at the very core of DePaul University. We have a legacy of serving underrepresented students and this award acknowledges our long-standing commitment to diversity,” said Elizabeth Ortiz, vice president for Institutional Diversity and Equity.

“At DePaul, diversity is a strategic priority. We aim to achieve a truly diverse environment that reflects our collective values. We understand that a diverse workforce and educational environment is directly related to our success and is essential in preparing DePaul students to live and work in a global community,” Ortiz said.

Among DePaul’s efforts to build a vibrant community, the university worked with the Student Government Association and Student Affairs in 2009 to establish diversity forums that are designed to promote universitywide dialogue. In 2014, the President’s Diversity Council established a similar concept for faculty and staff.

Additionally, there are seven employee resource groups that provide a sense of community and belonging for diverse faculty and staff. These include DePaul University Black Leadership Coalition, DePaul Women’s Network, ELEVATE: DePaul’s Asian and Asian-American Professional Community, Latinos Empowered at DePaul, LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Network, DePaul Parenting Connection, and DePaul Military Resource Group.

DePaul is one of 92 recipients of this year’s HEED award. Other recipients include the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Moraine Valley Community College. Also, Columbia University, Cornell University, Florida State University, Indiana University Bloomington, Kent State University, Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Maryland College Park.

In addition to the 2015 HEED award, DePaul has been recognized for other achievements in diversity, including:

Diversity MBA Magazine included DePaul on the 2015 “Best Places for Diverse Managers to Work” and on the 2014 list of “Top 50 Companies for Diverse & Women Managers to Work.” DePaul ranked No. 26 out of 50.

DePaul is the country’s No. 1 producer of minority graduates who earn bachelor’s degrees in accountancy, according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education’s 2013 rankings. The magazine also ranked DePaul 13th for bachelor’s degrees in finance and 19th for undergraduate degrees in marketing conferred upon students of color. (September 2013)

Diverse Issues in Higher Education listed DePaul is among the top 100 institutions that grant degrees to minority students in 40 disciplines. (2011)

Hispanic Outlook named DePaul in the top 100 institutions awarding bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees to Hispanics. (2011)